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Verbs according to function 4
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Main verbs 10 minLecture1.1
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Auxiliary verbs 45 minLecture1.2
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Copular verbs 20 minLecture1.3
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Verb exercises: verbs according to function 10 minLecture1.4
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Verbs according to meaning 7
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Transitive and intransitive verbs 10 minLecture2.1
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Reflexive verbs 30 minLecture2.2
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Modal verbs 45 minLecture2.3
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Modal verbs: zou 30 minLecture2.4
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Modal verbs: hoeven te 30 minLecture2.5
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Position verbs 30 minLecture2.6
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Verb exercises: verbs according to meaning 45 minLecture2.7
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Verbs according to form 3
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Separable verbs 30 minLecture3.1
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Phrasal verbs 15 minLecture3.2
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Verb exercises: verbs according to form 30 minLecture3.3
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Verbs according to conjugation 6
For purposes of conjugation Dutch verbs can be divided into regular and irregular verbs. Regular verbs follow a certain pattern in the way they are conjugated, whereas irregular verbs do not follow a pattern at all. The group of regular verbs is the largest, and this group can be divided further into weak verbs and strong verbs. The conjugation of a new verb (e.g. a verb borrowed from English) normally follows the rules of weak verbs.
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Weak verbs 30 minLecture4.1
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Strong verbs 20 minLecture4.2
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Irregular verbs 30 minLecture4.3
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Conjugation of new verbs 20 minLecture4.4
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List of strong and irregular verbs 40 minLecture4.5
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Verb exercises: verbs according to conjugation 30 minLecture4.6
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Tenses 9
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Infinitives and finite verbs 15 minLecture5.1
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Present tense 01 hourLecture5.2
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Past tense (imperfect) 30 minLecture5.3
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Perfect tense 01 hourLecture5.4
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Perfect or imperfect? 30 minLecture5.5
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Pluperfect 10 minLecture5.6
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Durative aspect 45 minLecture5.7
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Future aspect 50 minLecture5.8
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Verb exercises: tensesLecture5.9
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Revision exercises: verbs 1
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Revision exercisesLecture6.1
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Position verbs
There are three verbs in Dutch which, when indicating the position of an inanimate object, would be translated with ‘to be’ in English. These are the verbs zitten (literally ‘to sit’), staan (literally ‘to stand’) and liggen (literally ‘to lie’).
So, when you want to describe where things are, there is more than one verb to choose from. The choice of verb depends on the relative position of the object. The following examples illustrate the difference in meaning of the verbs of position:
The milk is in the shopping bag.
The milk is on the table.
The milk is on the floor.
Zitten is used when the object is contained within a relatively small space. In the example above, the milk is contained within the shopping bag and not visible. Staan is used when something is in an upright position. In the example above, the container or bottle of milk is in a normal upright position on the table. Liggen is used when the object is lying flat. In the example above, this implies that the milk has been spilt!
The following examples illustrate how the verbs of position are used in practice:
The list is in her pocket.
Here is the peanut butter.
Do you know where the tofu is?
Note that in all the examples so far, the position verbs have been translated with ‘to be’.
There is another verb that indicates position, but it is much more rarely used.
Oops! The milk is on the floor!
Well, the floor cloth is on the hook…
The verbs of position are also used to indicate the position of a person, but these can receive a literal translation in English as you can see in the examples below. You will sense though, that the English translation with to sit/stand/lie is not used as widely as the position verbs in Dutch.
Alan and Hannah are (sitting) on the sofa.
Kenny is (standing) in the kitchen.
Simone is still (lying) in bed.